In Memory of Opal

by L. Aguilar
(Texas)

Opal wasn't with us long, but she made a lasting impression while she was here and left a hole in our hearts after she was gone.

Opal was a golden sex-link hen, our 'emergency chick'; my husband and I had rescued a single, small bantam pullet (we named her Pearl), and to keep her from getting lonely we decided to reach out in the hopes of finding a friend for her to grow up with and to keep her company.

We were already at our chicken limit, really, but couldn't stand to hear our bantam crying from the brooder. Enter Opal.

She was sweet and curious from the start, and she loved to give us heart attacks by going for 'swims' in the shallow water dish they used.

She was never in trouble, and I even caught her splashing around and hopping out unfettered a few times. She loved her little friend Pearl, and she became her courage and led them through the scary transition from brooder to coop.

Her favorite food was dried super worms. She knew I always had some on me, and every time she saw me walking across the yard she would spring as fast as she could to wherever I was. Even after I gave her treats, she liked to follow me around and keep me company.

She was half a year old. I had left the property for less than an hour. The neighbors' two mannerless dogs got out and found her while I was away. I'll never stop wishing it'd been timed a little differently, that I'd been home and able to save her.

She loved flopping full on her side for dust baths and chasing grasshoppers across the yard. She loved her best friend Pearl and she was on the way to a happy, free-range life with the rest of our grown flock.

I'm sorry you couldn't live to learn to love strawberries, pumpkin, corn, all the things that you weren't quite ready for yet. I'm sorry I couldn't be there.

We love you, and you'll always be remembered.

A little tribute to Dolly

by Anna B
(Ireland )

Dolly was a little bantam hen. She was the most gentle and adorable little hen you could imagine.

She went to bed last night with her little comrade after a day of exploring and rooting around the place in lovely sunshine, but this morning I knew straightaway something was wrong.

She was unsteady on her legs and seemed disoriented. She passed away a couple of hours later and I feel so sad about losing her, especially not knowing what went wrong.

I'm heartbroken to lose her and her little comrade is now alone. I feel guilty that I did something wrong but I don't know what happened as she went downhill so unexpectedly and so quickly.

RIP Dolly, you were loved.

Tiny roo

by Leah
(Yakama)

My rooster was so nice so kind but didn't liked to be picked up. He liked to be petted though.

So when I went to see him he always thought that I was going to pick him up, so he ran away. But when I called him he would stop and come to me to pet him.

But a week later something happened. He had not come out with the hens, I went to check on him. He was laying down so I got him outside and he had closed his eyes.

I thought he was trying to sleep but after 2 seconds he had a seizure and died in front of me.

I cried so much that day. So there is my story. I hope that you know what I'm feeling.

Thanks for reading this story.

Sir Jorah

by Stephanie
(Springbrook, WI)

Sir Jorah (my male helmeted guinea fowl) would've been 6yrs in September. He's always dutifully kept watch as the female guinea has sat on clutches of eggs, sometimes resting right next to her.

Sir Jorah and my rooster got along very well, which meant he mingled with the chickens quite fine too. (Yes, I have chicken and guineas sharing coop quarters at night).

I've lost birds in the past, it always seems easier to understand "what happened?!?" when it was obvious why, and I have been mystified over the past 8 years when I randomly lose one who seemed perfectly healthy...as with Sir Jorah.

I will miss him being around, to hear his calls, to see him taking his female mate out and about in my yard.

I love my birds (both chickens and guineas), I hate losing them!

Thank you, thank you, Sir Jorah, for all the bugs and ticks you've gobbled and wooed your lady with during your lifespan.

My sweet birds

by Crystal
(New Mexico)

I had 9 chicks that we purchased in February and 6 of them were killed by a raven on my daughter's April birthday. It was horrible, and in the middle of the day too.

We had Houdini who was brown and white and was first to escape the brooder box. We had Liberty and Justice, the most beautiful silver Ameraucanas you ever saw. Liberty was always the feistiest of the bunch. We had Delaney who was a barred rock pullet almost as feisty as Liberty. Scrappy was the smallest little white puffball but the bravest and the first to explore the brooder. And there was Pidgey the red who always came right up to me and investigated my boots.

I loved them all so much. Even writing about them now is tough. It does get better though with time.

RIP Sylvia

by Stan
(Oregon)

Yesterday I lost one of my most favorite hens, Sylvia. She was 2 years old, not a great layer, but she was beautiful, friendly and fun.

She was the only one of our 18 hens that would hop every time I would give them treats. She would hop and hop until I tossed out their treats.

I’ll miss her terribly!

Mocha

by Abigail King
(Arizona)

We hatched Mocha in 2018 and she was always so sweet. She loved hugs so when I crouched down, she would come running over for me to hug her.

She has provided me with so much emotional support and now that she's gone, I don't know what to do anymore.

I got up to collect eggs yesterday and I saw her laying in the coop so I go to pet her and she was stiff and I knew that she was gone.

None of us know how she died, but I just wish I could have told her how much I love her, hugged her just one more time, and had the chance to say my goodbyes.

I can't believe she's really gone now. I miss her more than words can describe.

TT

by Shaun Paul
(Banglore, Karnataka, India)

My TT was different from other Chickens. When I'm sleeping he came by my side and slept with me and he is like the king of our house.

He screams louder than other chickens, more like 10 times louder. He had the biggest crown and beard, more than other chickens. When we give him food he made a sound while eating just like he is enjoying that.

He stayed with me for 1 1/2 years. While writing this I cried a lot😭, but remembering him and telling his story to you guys, feels good!😊

T T Saurus

by Sharon Sebastian
(Hospet, Karnataka, India)

Well he came in the year 2018, December 1st. He was totally cute that time. He was lovely to everyone in my family. As time passed by he became dangerous, but we loved him by his cute actions. I think he was like the king, he thought we needed to obey his orders.

He was totally like Hitler. No-one could stand near him, except me my mom and my brother. People say he was more like a dog.

He was damn cute like no other chicken was.

He was 2kg in size. He hated when we say that about him. He loved food very much, like fish curry and rice, onions, etc. I think he was lucky for my family. He made some cute noises and we loved it so much. And made fun of it!

At his passing he was about one and a half years old. He wasn't eating food like before. We started to worry about him. We took him to hospital. Some medicine were given to him, but he wasn't ok.

After couple of weeks he died. Everyone was sad, my mom and me and my brother cried. He was a like family member to us.

We love u TT.

Farewell, Greta

by Lorelai
(Austin)

Greta was part of my first flock I got a couple months ago. We lost one chicken almost immediately (AdaMae https://www.raising-happy-chickens.com/chicken-memorials-june-2020.html#submission_32450247) but Greta was a fighter.

She had an eye infection that turned respiratory and would go through these up and down periods. Greta spent a few nights at a local vet and became the favorite as she loved to be held and would trill excitedly when offered fruit. She could be carried around without a carrier and loved attention.

Over the last few weeks, she lost vision in her bad eye but we seemed to have cleared the infection. Greta started growing and seemed to be back to her normal self.

Then over the weekend, her spirits dropped. Today, she stopped moving or eating. I took her inside and made her as comfortable as I could. She passed peacefully in my husband's lap. She will be greatly missed.

Grumpy Grumpus

by Gaelflyn
(Blythburgh, Suffolk, UK)

We rescued you from a road verge 2 years ago. You lived with our other rescued cockerels until your hormones kicked in! Then you moved into your own run & had free range of garden.

You'd be allowed into the house & would roost on the sofa! You'd crow at the kitchen window to be let in, or for treats.

You would attack our feet, but would behave in the house :)

You loved mackerel, corn & mealworms, happy bokking furiously.

Today you died suddenly. You were still warm, but we didn't know how or why & I'm devastated :(

You were loved, a legend on Facebook.

R.I.P Grumpy xx

Shaneequa

by Susan Szulc
(Scotland )

Shaneequa was named by my son Calum as she was beautiful and shiny. At times her feathers looked like the rainbow 🌈

Yesterday she didn’t seem as lively as normal but I thought she was just looking to lay, there were no signs that she was ill.

Today I found her snuggled into a corner of the coop on her own. She was still warm to the touch but she had sadly passed away.

No reason for dying, she had a happy, healthy,loved, life, but was only a year old.❣️

Honey G

by Jo Browne
(Hinckley, Leicestershire, UK)

She was a young hen, 24/25 weeks old. We bought 5 from our local chicken farm around 6 weeks ago.

This particular hen appeared happy, she was in the house yesterday, terrorising our little Yorkie as she did on a regular basis! She jumped up onto the sofa (it has a throw on it) I asked her to get down and she did.

She loved to come inside and steal some of the dog biscuits which I checked out and is fine. But this afternoon, my husband shouted me from the coop that Honey is dead!!! I mean, what? Why? How? 😢

She was the lighter coloured one of our flock, being a Honey colour, my son called her 'Honey G'. My husband is really upset and my son isn't home yet, I'm unsure how he's going to take it. I'm upset but feel 'it's life' as death is a part of life, right?

She brought much joy to our kitchen & garden and I always had to clear up after she'd been flicking the dog biscuits everywhere!

We will miss you Honey. RIP 🐔 🤎

Buffy

by Jean
(Fairview, TN)

I went out this am with food and to open the coop, and there was one of my Buff Orphingtons lying lifeless in the door way.

She was up on a perch last night. I do feel bad. She was big and beautiful, very fluffy.

There was no signs of trauma, no ruffled feathers, no sign of being egg bound, no mites, nothing - just dead.

Sorry little hen. Doesn’t look like she suffered.

Leah and Otah - Strong, Funny and Beautiful

We first got Leah and Otah with 3 others chicks when they were only 1 day old. They were all so cute and you love them from day one.

Otah's egg broke inside her and she got an infection. We took her to the vet. However she could not walk and she was in pain, so they suggested to put her to sleep. This happened in June 20, 2020.

It was very painful to have her put to sleep. I have 3 kids and my husband we all cried. I think I took it the hardest.

Leah broke her leg last Sunday and we took her to the vet on Tuesday Aug 18 and they told us they have to put her to sleep because she was in pain. She broke her leg too high up to save her. I just started crying with having to put her to sleep. I didn't want her to suffer with pain though, so we had her put to sleep.

As I am writing this I am crying with the sadness I feel. Leah and Otah were beautiful, cute and funny hens, they loved eating fruits and vegetables...love, loved grape and apple.

They would walk around looking at you doing silly things. I loved watching them. I think they were very smart, a few times we come home late and the shed we keep them was closed.

They always found somewhere high to stay away from danger until we put them back in.


We all are missing you so much Leah and Otah, thanks for opening our hearts to love you both.

We will always remember you!!!!